


Let's meet again in the middle of Nowhere

by lillash97



Series: Wind of Change [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, Friends to Lovers, Ghosts, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Magic, No Smut, One Shot, Shamanism, Supernatural Elements, happy open ending?, nothing too graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillash97/pseuds/lillash97
Summary: Jisung  wanted to get away, from himself, from his pressing parents, from his friends, from everything.But he knows he can’t. Because the people he loves are still there. Because the road ahead of him is still bumpy and has a lot to do still.  He worries and worries.Until he accidentally summoned a dead person. Lee Minho.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Woojin, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Series: Wind of Change [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1569703
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	Let's meet again in the middle of Nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first time writing in the stray kids' fandom. I usually stick with Seventeen. But I have taken a liking on these boys too, so here I am. I started writing this in October, a period where I was really sad and worried about life and my future in general but then as times passed and as I wrote, I think the overall vibe of this fic changed, just as the original plot. I needed to add crack just as I need to breath lol  
> Also, yesterday I got my bachelor's degree which means that I am happy, and happy me means happy ending. LOL.
> 
> I don't know if any of you are still reading my stories or will read them, but if you do, just know that I'm always grateful and that comments or kudos are always welcomed.  
> Also, English is not my first language so there might be mistakes and I'm too lazy to proofread again and again and again and I don't have a beta so ENJOY! 
> 
> PS; Woojin will always be part of stray kids in our memories and in our heart, please keep supporting him too. In or out of SKZ.  
> (uPDATE: Well, just ignore him.)  
> PS: Jeongin is single in this because well, I have further ideas for him who KNOWS  
> Also stream Levanter!  
> Like I always say, have a good day or night!
> 
> PSS: I forgot to say that I changed their ages in this! byee, will start editing a bit... maybe

**❄Let’s meet again in the Middle of Nowhere❄**

**Intro**

If there’s a constant in Jisung’s life, that would be _worry_. He struggled all his life. Not that he has lived that much being barely twenty-two.

He made his way through that _pain in the ass_ called high school, smiled bright through his years of university, although hardship, dull headaches and lack of sleep filled his days. Anxiety lurking behind his eyelids, but never fully taking control of his being. Until he had to graduate. 

University was ending soon. 

And all he could think about was the indefinite question mark of “ _What am I going to do with this piece of paper now?”._ He should be happy though, and of course there's a little spark of content in his heart, because at the end of day he was still fulfilling his dreams. Still, there was no way he could deny that bitter taste, always lingering at the top of his tongue. 

The cause of his worries could probably be _just_ anxiety kicking, or maybe it's _just_ fear of growing up, officially. Not matter how much effort we put in the things we do, not matter how much we spend time to make it right, there is no definite answer. 

If his mind was occupied with exams during the day, at night while he tried to sleep, thoughts occupied his whole being. Those made him want to get away from his pressing parents, from his friends, from everything, even himself. 

But he knows he can’t. The people he loves are still there. The road ahead is still bumpy, with no end in sight. He worries and worries.

Until he accidentally summons a dead person. Lee Minho. 

  
  


A short story in which Han Jisung cope with weird occurrences, weird humor and crazy friends. 

❄

Ever since a childhood friend of him had died, visiting the graveyard had become a routine. Like going during the early morning of saturdays when all you could see were mostly old ladies paying respect to their deceased relatives or friends. Different kind of flowers always in his hands. 

There was something about being there that put him in a weird unconfortable mood. But at the same time, it lulled him with a sense of devastating peace, because everything was just so quiet, besides occasional rustling of leaves or water filling tanks, meant to feed flowers. How ironic is that a place meaning mostly _death_ , could also become a symbol of _life in death._ All of it because he was still remembering, because a graveyard was all about remembering in first place. Even if it hurted, maybe too much. 

It was the day he discovered a lonely tombstone that weird things started happening in his life. That very shrine looked like no one had touched it in a while, no flowers, no candles, only a blurry picture due to the sun exposure and broken letters spelling a name. He crouched down, reading the name of the person that had left this world, feeling each letter and number rising up at the back of throat. 

1998

Died 2017. 

_Three years ago_

He touches the tomb slab, feeling the marble material under his fingertips. _I don’t know who are you but you look lonely in here. Why did they leave you all alone?_ He takes out a few flowers from his basket, putting them down on the shrine. One last glance and he gets up, dusting off his pants. _I have to go_. He leaves, searching for his friend’s tomb, leaving the fresh flowers and lighting up a new candle. 

Unknowingly, someone had been watching him all the time. 

1

Ever since that day in the graveyard, something had started feeling off. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he felt like someone was following him. Everytime he returned home, he would turn around but no one was there. Maybe it was stress from his coming up graduation or the project he was working on. Still, he tried not to give it too much thought .Even if it started itching up a nerve. Well, until a day. 

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he opened his fridge. _What? I’m pretty sure I left the last piece of cheesecake here yesterday. My cheesecake…_

Dragging his body sadly, he sat down at his coffee table reminiscing the piece of cake he could not eat because it was not there anymore. “I’m pretty sure I left it there yesterday, where did you go, cheesecake?”

**_I ate it up, sorry. I was hungry_ ** _._

“Uh?” 

Startled, he got up quickly. He was pretty sure that was not his own voice talking to him. A few seconds passed, until he facepalmed. “Aish, school is really driving me crazy. I hear voices too, now”. 

Unknowingly, someone had been watching him, face stained with cream and a guilty smile.

❄

It’s late at night when Jisung gets to his dorm room which he had all for himself, opening the door and closing it with his back. He rests like this, head down and back against the now closed door. In the silence, you could swear his sighing was not the only one right there. 

He turns on the lights, dragging his feet against the tile, tired. Home sweet home. Yeah, that very same dorm that saw all the struggling of his years, his tears. Once, it had been like his safe-haven from the outside world. Now, all he can associate it to is a _shell_ , bound to break. 

He takes a shower, changing in his favourite plaid pjs later. He finishes off the last piece of cheesecake he had brought the other day, checking any incoming messages when one pops out suddenly. _An unknown number?_ With a spoon in his mouth, he drops it on the floor once he reads it. 

Unknown number

_You must like it a lot, I see._

_Cute._

“Oh fuck, my spoon” he picks it up, throwing it in the sink to wash it later. _Nah, it’s probably someone who sent the text to a wrong number._ ****

5 minutes later, he is in his bathroom. He plays a song while brushing his teeth and rubbing one of his eyes awake.Spitting, he is ready to wash his mouth, putting his toothbrush back in his cup without looking. He reaches for his towel but can’t find any. _Uh? I’m pretty sure I put it here before._

Raising his eyes, his heart stops right there before resuming beating at a inhuman speed, fearing it might escape before he can even scream. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH” 

He rubs his eyes once, twice. Maybe he is wrong. Maybe there is not someone, _deadly gorgeous someone,_ in his bathroom, holding his pink towel. But that someone is still there, hand extended, a soft smile on his face. He screams again, running off. “OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. A THIEF, A THIEF”.

He stomps over the carpet, hitting his little toe-finger against a furniture. He cusses out loud, falling ungracefully on the floor because that shit hurts. 

“I’m not a thief” that someone says, appearing right next to him and crutching on the floor “Are you any hurt?” 

“If you are not a thief, what are you- A MURDERER OH MY GOD, MUM I MUST ESCAPE” he gets up quickly, ignoring the pain in his feet, ready to run off again when a cold hand holds his wrist. The touch is there for only a moment, then disappears. The coldness makes him stop in his track, turning around. That person is not there anymore. Jisung looks around, sighing out of relief. Maybe he is only having a bad dream, nothing more. _Ah, yeah a bad dream. Nothing m- FUCK!_

He flinches and internally cusses when that person appears again right in front of his face. “Sorry, my ghost abilities are a little bit weak”

“G-ghost..?” Once the realization hits him, he screams again, running off in the direction of his door, opening it. This time he is not screaming incoherent words, but a name. “YANG JEONGIN”. 

The ghost sighs in despair, closing the door Jisung had left open and waiting for him to comeback. 

Jisung ignores the fact that all of his floormates opened their doors to see who was screaming, running down to the second floor. He bangs on the door until a pissed off young boy yanks it open “Hyung, what do you want at this hour?” 

He enters the room, hectic and closes the door behind his back, leaning on the wall like his life depended on it. “There’s a ghost in my room”

❄

“So _you are_ telling me I have to conduct a freaking spell by myself?” Jisung deadpans, while miserably throwing his body on the younger’s bed. “Get down from my bed”

“I washed up you know”

“I don’t care, you ran down here barefooted”

“I have socks on”

Jeongin throws him on the floor, re-appropriating of his own bed as Jisung falls on his ass, hurting his tailbone in the process. “Yang Jeongin.”

“Hyung.”

“Do I really have to?”

Jeongin nods, taking his grandmother’s journal from under his pillow and giving it to the older on the floor. “Page 9, there is a list of ingredients you need and words you need to chant after you organize all the props”.

“But why? How can I do this? I’m not a shaman nor I’m from family of shamans like you are”

“You told me you felt his touch, you heard him talk. In general, humans can’t see ghosts, neither talk to them. If you can see _him,_ it means that _he_ chose to let _you_ see _him”._ The younger explains, holding his plushie closer to his body. A knowing smile sets on his face but hides it as soon as it came. 

“But I don’t even know the name of that ghost how I am supposed to do this..? I can’t tell him hey what’s your name? I need to chant this shit” 

Jeongin rolls his eyes, getting up and taking Jisung’s hand in his. He takes his palm and smooths his own hand over the skin. A name forms upon it and he reads it to him. “Minho, Lee Minho”.

Jisung’s face pales once he remembers where he had seen that name. 

  
  
  
  


❄

_Did he follow me from that day at the cemetery?_

Jisung wonders as he got back to his dorm room, ears perched to hear any possible sound of that ghost. Sure, he was good in alchemy. There’s always been something in that subject that appealed to him. Sure, he liked experimenting in secret too. But from that to the pentagram drawn on a white sheet on his floor, it was something else. Afterall he was only a music student interested in weird shit, not more than that. 

He places each candle down, circling the pentagram and lighting them up. He takes the ash from the paper bag Jeongin had given to him, but he almost drops it on the ground when the ghost appears out of nowhere. “What are you doing?”

“Oh my, can you stop appearing like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like a ghost”

“But I’m ghost” Minho narrows his eyes, weirded out by the human’s antics. **_Am I scaring him too much? Oh? Why is he sprinkling ash on the floor?”_ **

Jisung stops for a moment, contemplating whether he had heard it right or wrong. Minho seeing the way he had frozen suddenly, asks worried “Are you okay?” 

_It’s the same voice from when I was sad because of my cheesecak- OH MY GOD HE ATE MY CHEESECAKE._ He turns around, eyeing the ghost badly. “You ate my cheesecake”

If ghosts could blush, Minho would definitely being a blushing mess at the moment. He didn’t think that the other would have figured it out. “Y-yes”

“My cheesecake” Jisung utters again

“I’m sorry, I was- why did you start chanting latin words- oh my god what is pulling me towards that shit on the floor! YA HUMAN DON’T DO THIS TO ME!” 

_Ad spirituum voco ego voco super mortuo me rursus videbo mi._

_Ego vocare te venerunt ad me plus semel iterumque ad tarda reuerti._

_Volo videre te quaerant et desideratissimi fiat semper._

Once he finishes chanting the latin spell, Minho finds himself in the middle of the pentagram, glittery specks surrounding him. They dance, twirl and floats in the air around him. Ghost can feel fear too? Minho doesn’t know, but still he does. He had trusted that human in front of him, why did he do that? Was he getting rid of him too? Wait- was that the right spell anyway? 

**_Why are you doing this to me? I thought I could trust you…_ **

There’s a look of hesitation on Jisung’s face once he hears that voice again. But what was done, was done. He watches the specks attach themselves on the ghost’s figure, exploding in light. The pentagon breaks, candles brutally extinguished by an unknown force. 

There is moment of silence when Jisung realizes that the ghost is still there, lying on the floor asleep. He screams “YANG JEONGIN” 

“Stop screaming my name” Jeongin appears out of nowhere, a knowing smile on his lips. 

“How did you enter my room you witch!” Jisung scowls, crossing his arms and waiting for the other to respond as he moves the “ghost” from the floor covered with ash. “You ugly tart, we are friends, I know your password because you keep forgetting it and I keep reminding you” 

“What did you call me?” Jisung’s jaws fall open, irritated by the younger behaviour. “Ugly tart”

“You little shit-” the older takes the younger in a headhold, rubbing his head while he struggles to get out. “H-hyung, stop.”

A pained whine makes them stop in track, raising their heads in the direction of the sound. Jeongin stomps on Jisung’s foot who cries in pain and lets him go. “Minho hyung!” 

“Minho hyung? Ya Yang Jeongin, are you playing me?” Jisung asks, holding his feet out of pain. “Oh my god what did you make me do to him?”

❄

The three of them sit in circe, staring at each other but no words are uttered. Until Jeongin deems fit to break the irritating and awkward silence. Feeling a little bit guilty because he had lied to Jisung, he reveals “Okay, I may have given you a resurrection spell I inherited from some overseas' relatives”

“Oh my freaking god, Jeongin. Am I going to hell for this?” Jisung grips his hair in despair, scared by the outcome of his actions.. 

“Wait- what? I’m alive again? aH, that’s why I feel my skin!” Minho smiles, ignoring Jisung’s distressed look as he touches his own hands and it doesn’t feel like touching air. 

“Oh my f-”

“Stop saying oh my freaking god. You are not going to hell, I think..” Jeongin complains, patting Minho’s shoulders to further prove the materiality of the once ghost. 

“YOU THINK?” 

“Geez, keep calm hyung” 

“How can I keep calm when I gave his life back to that gorges” He stops in the middle of his sentence to correct himself “T-that person”

“It was bound to happen” Jeongin shrugs his shoulder while he watches Minho spacing out and Jisung looking like he is about to combust, not only because of desperation but because he knows he finds himself attracted to the once-ghost. But he chooses to stay quiet on the matter. 

“What does that mean?” 

“I don’t know, the journal told me”

“I’m going to have an headache. What am I supposed to do now?” the squirrel-like boy looks over to Minho, covering half of his face with the palm of his hand. 

“Take care of him?”

“I can’t even take care of myself?” 

“Well, we gave him a life to live now! Let’s enroll him to school”

“I don’t wanna go to school” Minho blurts out, after a moment of spacing out “No? But we have a dance academy here, hyung!” 

At that mention, Minho jumps on his feet doing a weird dance, smiling so much that it reaches his eyes, curving in moons. “Really? Can I JOIN?” 

The younger of the three nods “If you want to, we can make it happen”. Minho’s smile falls just as quickly as it appeared, once he realizes he doesn’t have the means to enroll “But how? I don’t have money. I’m just a g-ghost..”

_Wll, apparently you are not CUZ I FREAKING REVIVED YOU._

“I will take care of this, hyung” Jeongin gets up, dusting off his pants. He looks at Jisung when the older shouts a “HOW?”. He snaps his finger and a golden-like paper appears, lingering in the air a few seconds before setting on the floor in front of Minho. “A letter of recommendation. I heard from Felix hyung that the dance academy is looking for new students since many are graduating this year. I will ask him to give this to the principal”

  
  


**2**

It’s starts with Minho slowly but surely integrating in the university life that weirder things happens. The older had met Jisung’s circle of friends, getting close with pretty much of all of them. Not that he had that many friends, but still Minho’s friendly attitude was like a refreshing breeze that he didn’t know he had needed till now. Not only him, but the others too. Even Jeongin. 

It’s funny how he was scared of him at first. The older was nothing more than a gentle soul- okay no, maybe not that gentle since Minho’s remarks were probably the most savages sometimes, but still. He was like a table of chocolate. Hard but sweet. 

Well, that didn’t sound that innocent. _WHATEVER, JISUNG STOP THINKING_ **_._ **

But the thing is that Minho can see other ghosts, legit ghost inhabiting university’s halls, classrooms and corridors. And apparently, so does Jisung. 

If he wasn’t scared of Minho now, he was sure scared of the weird shit he kept seeing when he was walking around the campus. But what scared him the most was being found out, mostly known labelled as crazy because of this newly found ability. But also and mostly because Minho couldn’t refrain from talking to every random dead person in school. And Jisung had run out of excuses. 

It’s just like any other day that they find a ghost named Hyunjin. Minho was again talking to someone, luckily no one was around at that time. Well, besides Jisung who stops him once he finds him. “Hyung, what we said about talking to them in the middle of the corridor?” he says, quietly, hoping no one was soon to be around. “Who is this by the way?”

**“Hi, I’m Hyunjin”** a _really, really, really pretty_ but with a stupid looking grin ghost answered, a friendly-like attitude radiating from him. **“I’m a ghost!** ”

“Like I haven’t realized”

“Why are you wandering here?” Minho asks, helbowing Jisung and reprimanding from any stupid remark. **“I died in this school around..mhh 20 years ago** ”. 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that”

“Why are you guys talking to the wall, is there something interesting on it?” a wild, taller friend of them stands by their back, staring at the wall trying to understand what the other two were looking at. 

**“Oh my foot, he is so cute” Hyunjin whines, his eyes literally shaping in hearts.**

Jisung almost fails in keeping a barf in as Seungmin hits on the arm “Why are you laughing at me, idiot?” 

**  
  
**

❄

It’s been two weeks and Hyunjin keeps following them all around and whining at Jisung because of his friend, Seungmin. The ghost won’t shut up about how cute the other looks and how he wishes he wasn’t dead. 

If Jisung was bothered by being followed around by the older, he wouldn’t show it. Because no matter how annoying Hyunjin could be, Jisung would still feel sorry to him. Because he couldn’t do anything to bring him back.

They had tried it before of course, with the help of Jeongin and Minho. But it didn’t work. Jeongin had been quick to explain that maybe it was not time for him yet or maybe another person should have done it. 

It’s a normal busy monday when Jisung meets Seungmin in front of the lockers. He greets the other, sleep still heavy on his eyelids and Seungmin laughs at him. The older, only by 7 seven days Jeongin would argue, rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics and what he was about to say. “Did Minho keep you awake?”

“Are you implying something now?”

“What do you mean? You probably messed with his bundles again”

“A-h that. Anyways, I have to go the library. I need to work on my thesis!” he says, quickly avoiding Seungmin’s eyes and taking his material out. “I need to study for an exam, so I’m going too. I can’t focus in my dorm, Felix keeps distracting me with his videoga- OUCH” 

It had happened all so fast when Seungmin’s ex had “accidently” shoved him in his locker when he was passing by. “YA, DOWOON WHAT THE FUCK?” he yelled, holding his left arm in pain. 

“I did nothing, bye bitch”

“You little shi-” Jisung was already going all in out with rolling the hems of his sleeves when he is, probably, the only one to realize what had made Dowoon fall and roll on the ground. He really tries not to laugh and to help, but honestly he liked Hyunjin way too much to stop him. And of course he didn’t like Seungmin’s ex at all. _Oh well- wait hyunjin don’t drag him around. People are staring. OMG THEY STARTED SCREAMING._

The passing by students scream and yell, wondering why the hell that guy looked like he was being dragged on the floor by an unknown force, until he stopped right in front of the bathrooms where Minho was standing. He laughs awkwardly “Hahahahahah don’t worry guys, it’s just a prank”

“Jisung?”

“Oh? Seungmin?”

“But why that guy was dragging him around on the floor?”

Jisung only stares at him with his jaw open. What a time to be alive on a normal busy monday. Nevertheless to say that his working-on-his-thesis time was cut short to talk to Jeongin about _what_ Seungmin could see. Or better say _who_. 

**  
  
**

❄

News run out when the dean called a priest to benedict the halls. Apparently, students had been complaining about seeing paranormal shit in the corridors or even in the shared showers. And of course, Mr.Bang being the nice, understanding principal he was, had called someone to check the situation. Beside the fact that the priest was actually fake. 

“Woojin, I beg you. Just this once” the dean begged, putting his hands together and dramatically swaying them. 

“You are asking me to act like a priest when I’m from a shaman family”

“Well, you know. Sometimes exorcists-”

“Shamans are exorcists too”

“But it’s more theatral when you wear the priest suit”

“Tell me why I’m doing this?” Woojin says, while adjusting his collar and black gown. “Where is my crucifix?” 

“Because you love me?” the ash-blond answers, rhetorically. He passes the crucifix to the older, then retrieves something from his drawers “You need holy water too” 

“I’m starting to dislike you” Woojin narrows his eyes at him while taking the holy water out of his grip and mentally cursing both his step-brother and his own boyfriend. 

**  
  
**

A while later, the scene unfolding in front of Jisung’s eyes was to be taken out from one of those comedy movies, like scary movie series. Jeongin and Minho are standing next to him, Hyunjin nowhere to find since he had heard about a priest visiting the halls of the school to _repel_ any paranormal activity. It was not his fault if that guy annoyed the hell out of him. He was never a spiteful spirit, but just one look at him and he felt something itch. 

“Isn’t that Woojin hyung?” Jisung whispers to Jeongin as he takes a closer look at the priest who was now throwing holy water on the floor as he passed by, a crucifix in his right hand and the dean following behind. “Why is he dressed up as a priest?” 

“I’m not gonna say it” Jeongin answers, taking his phone out to take some pictures of his step-brother. “I really want to laugh but I can’t”

“Why are you so quiet?” Jisung elbows Minho, gaining his attention back since he was again spacing out all by himself. “N-nothing” the older quickly dismisses, waving his hand but a troubled look is clearly on his face. 

The younger doesn’t know what came to him when he took hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together. What he knew was that he didn’t like that kind of look on Minho’s face. 

When the priest is about to finish his sprinkle session, he hesitates for a second as he meets Minho’s eyes at the end of the corridor. He almost pales when he remembers about him being a ghost, but now he looks so human. 

He recovers quickly, giving the holy water back to the dean and clapping his hand once. “There are no ghosts here, they went away. Please return to your classes! Don’t worry” 

**  
  
  
  
  
**

**3**

It has been weeks since the priest showdown, everything seemed fine again. Well, adding to that the fact Seungmin had started seeing Hyunjin and he believed he was human, not a ghost. 

Jisung had told Hyunjin to stop lying to his friend but human habits hardly ever die. “We can’t keep lying to him, Hyunjin”

“Lying to who?” said boy returns to his shared dorm with Jeongin trailing behind, snacks in his arms. Hyunjin pales as if he could while Jeongin just sighs in defeat, before throwing the snacks on the couch and crossing his arms. He starts, smiling as if what he was about to say was nothing at all “Allright idiots, it’s my time to shine again. So, Seungmin, Hyunjin is a ghost and we need you to bring him back from death” 

“W-what?”

“S-Seungmin, I-I can explain..” Hyunjin speaks, trying to find the right words not to scare the younger away. “He looks close to passing out, omg Jeongin, why would you tell him like that”

The youngest shrugged his shoulders “I don’t have filter- why is he laughing like a maniac?”. Seungmin had started laughing uncontrollably, bending over his knees because of it. Tears forming at the corner of his eyes. “OMG WE BROKE HIM”

“There is no way I’m gonna get involved in this chaos. I’m out guys. Call me if you need the props” Jisung shimmies out of the dorm as fast as he can, closing the door behind his back. _Oh, well I’m just going to find Minho hyung._

❄

“I can’t believe you actually asked me on a date” Minho teases as he places a red picnic sheet on the grass by the Han River, before sitting gracefully on it. Jisung scowls at him as he puts the two ramen containers on it, passing one to the older “It’s not a date, hyung. I was bored and didn't have any motivation for my thesis”

“Then why are we at the han river, sitting on an ugly ass picnic sheet while eating ramen at 10 o’clock when it’s past our dorm curfew?” he asks after taking a bite, sauce still on his lips. He smirks when the other remains in silence, looking like he was pondering on the matter “Ah! You are not answering. See, it’s a date!”

Jisung sighs, munching on his ramen and storing in his cheeks. “Whatever it is, that’s not what matters”

“That’s right because I am the matter here”

“Can you stop flirting?” Jisung glares, ready to throw chopstick at him when he gets a firm "No" 

“Why?”

“Because I like when you blush, duh!" Minho deadpans as he opens his bottle of coke, downing a cup and ignoring the way Jisung was staring at him with a grimace on his face"I’m gonna throw the rest of this bowl on you if you don’t stop”

Minho raises his hands up in defeat, surrendering to the younger’s request before moving to juggle down the rest of his food. He closes his eyes for a moment, waiting for the other to finish eating. He knows the younger is staring at him, wanting to ask him something he has never dared to. “Hyung”

“mh?”

“What was it like? Your past life, I mean”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember that much about it” Minho answers, eyes still closed but smiles in the middle of the sentence. A smile so warm Jisung could feel it as the sun touching his skin even if it was night. “But if there is something I remember is that I used to dance” 

“Really?”

Minho nods twice, finally opening his eyes. “I guess I just forgot about it, as time went by”

“I wish you could remember” Jisung whispers without thinking, playing with the bracelet around his own wrist. “But I can’t Jisung, and that’s not going to change”

“Omg, did I say it outloud?”

“Yes” he giggles, throwing a piece of paper at him. “Why were you always at the cemetery, if I can ask?”

“Why do people go at the cemetery, hyung?”

“Paying respect? But I’ve seen you way too much to be just that”

“I felt at peace there”

“And now?”

“I guess I found my peace somewhere else” 

The reason Minho chooses not to tease him for his last words remains unknown. It just didn't feel right, but just ruffling Jisung's brown hair and handing him a piece of chocolate did. 

❄

“Hyung, I don’t think that’s a good idea” Jeongin shakes his head as he sits down, reaching for a pillow to hug. “Why not?” Jisung asks, sitting on the younger’s bed with crossed-legs as he chugs down some chilli flavoured chips he had brought along.

“Well” Jeongin starts “We don’t know if they are bad memories”

“Didn’t you know him before?” 

“That’s not important. I know you want to help him remembering his past as a person, but who knows what will it trigger. Like you said, we don’t know what happened to him before he found you”

Jisung sighs as he munches on another chip “I don’t know, Jeongin. I feel like I should help him”

“Then we’ll do researches my way. If I find out something BAD we are not going to make him remember. If I find out something decent, we can help him.”

“Really?” 

“Yes”

“Okay, what do you actually want?” the older inquiries, putting the chips away, which are soon in the hands of the pink haired boy. “Help me with Seungmin. He doesn’t want to perform the ritual because he is scared and he is not talking to Hyunjin either” he says, eating away what’s left in the bag. 

“Okay, I’ll try talking to him. But Jeongin, why are you doing this for us?”

“Let’s just say I commited a grave sin in my past life, now I’m trying to make it better. Go now, I have chickens to catch!” he answers while pushing the older out of his bed and metaphorically out of his room. “Seungmin is in the library!”

❄

There he was, sitting at a table in the corner of the last library hall, where usually no one went due to the amount of dust. Jisung remembers sneaking little snacks in the back of his pocket to eat for when he got hungry, because although beverages and food were not allowed in the library, no one ever controlled the area. 

He is making his way towards Seungmin, too focused on his books displaced on the table to notice him. Or notice the way someone grabs Jisung’s wrist, dragging him behind a big shelf of books. The younger holds an hand over his heart, whispering. “Ya, Hyunjin. You seriously scared me!”

“Jisung, help me. He won’t talk to me anymore. Please, tell him that I didn’t mean anything bad to begin with”

“I was going to do just that”

“Really?” the ghost asks, hopeful the human could help him out. 

“Yes. Wait here, I’ll call you when it’s time”

Hyunjin nods, head hanging low but he smiles a bit when Jisung pats his shoulder even if his hand goes right through it, before going to Seungmin. Once he reached the table, he settles down startling the younger, who was ready to throw a punch to anyone who tried to disturb him. “Ah, it’s you”

“Yes, it’s me. Your best friend. Let’s cut it short, spill the beans” he says, plopping his elbows on the desk to stare directly at his friend. “The only beans I’m gonna spill are those I carry around against spirits” 

“Seungmin!”

“Jisung”

“Then spill the tea” Seungmin sighs loudly, closing the book he was reading to put it back. He gets up to only sit down a few seconds later, once Jisung says “Hyunjin is not Dowoon, Seungmin”

“How can you be so sure about it?”

“Wait-” Jisung stops talking for a second, pursuing his lips before uttering “so it’s not about him being a ghost?”

Seungmin rolls his eyes at him, taking actual dry red beans from his bag and throwing them on the older in front of him, one after one while Jisung cries in pain. “No, it’s not about him being a ghost. I don’t want-” he pauses, struggling on the right words to say “I think I like him too much and if he really turns human again, I’m scared I would have to really accept my feelings”

“You are being selfish!”

“Oh?”

“In a way I understand you, because I didn’t even know at first I was turning Minho back to human. I actually wanted to remove him, because my sanity mattered more than anything else. Then I actually got to know him, and I think that if I had the opportunity to grow closer to Minho like you did to Hyunjin, I would have thrown away every fear just so that he could live again” he explained, cheek propped on a hand as he stared at the white wall behind his friend before redirecting his eyes on him. 

“You sound like you are in love with him.."

Jisung chokes on his own spit, blabbering “W-what a-re you saying? Anyways, this is not about me. HYUNJIN GET HERE NOW!”

As if on clue, the ghost appears sitting in front of Seungmin, who looked down immediately, scared of eye contact. “You two talk, if you don’t. I’m gonna find a spell to leave you in your underwear in the middle of the hall”

Seungmin's jaws open in disbelief “Well, thanks F-R-I-E-N-D”

“You are welcome, baby. Bye” As he says, he is out of there as fast as could, leaving the two talking to each other. At least hoping so.

“Can you stop ignoring me? You don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to, Seungmin. But, please just talk to me this once. It’s the first time in 20 years someone actually paid attention to me, a mere ghost. So please, if you can, keep talking to me”

“How can I look at you in the eyes when I know I have the power to revive you but my stupid selfish heart pressures me not to do it, Hyunjin?”

“I understand you, Seungmin. I waited a lot, I’m going to wait for you too until I can”

  
  


❄

It’s late at night, hidden under his covers, grandmother’s book in front of his face that Jeongin finds out. A few tears escape his eyes, dropping on the page displayed in front of him, wetting the paper. Not matter how horrific, sad and awful a death can be, it’s still painful. In whatever form it may be. Especially if it keeps happening.

❄

It’s a week later, around the later half of November when Jeongin corners Jisung in one of the hallway. “I was looking for you”

“Not now, Jeongin. I have to work on my thesis. I’m far behind it” Jisung whines, slugging the backpack better on his shoulder, ready to go to the library. But the moment he hears a name, he is ready to push everything back, even the Dean’s words about procrastination. _Like mate, stop procrastinating_ “It’s about Minho”

“Where is he?”

“In my room”

“Let’s go”

Five minutes later, the three of them find themselves sitting on the floor in circle, Jeongin’s grandmother book places neatly in the middle. He turns page after pages, until he finds it. Black ink shapes in small and bigger feathers, candles drawn at the edge of the paper. “Me and Jisung would like to help you remember your past, are you okay with it?”

Minho throws a small smile at them, eyes focused on the book displayed before his eyes, hand supporting his cheek. “Give me a reason I should do it”

“Well, you could remember your loved ones, your friends, your family” Jisung utters first, searching for the other’s eyes that keeps avoiding him. Until he looks at him and the words stop in his throat. “And then, what I will do when I remember?” 

“Treasure them” Jeongin answers instead, running an hand along the page, until the feather turns golden in colour. “But I won’t do this if you don’t want to know”

“I never said I didn’t want to know”

“If you want to know then, put your hand over mine” Jeongin instructs, keeping the palm on the page when a slighter colder one touches his. “Jisung will ask you the questions, I’ll be in trans. So I can’t do it, okay?” Minho nods, stealing a glance at the other who was gnawing at his nails. 

“ _Between life and death, treasuring the memories_ ”

As soon as those words leave his mouth, he closes his eyes, feeling warmth underneath his palms and light seeping through. The light takes control of whole hand, soon transferring to the one of top of his. 

Minho yelps in pain at the sudden warmth cursing through his hand, then his arm, reaching up his shoulder, neck and head. He closes his eyes as his vision gets blurry, but the moment he shuts them, scenes are being played in his head. His family, his friends, his showcases when he was dancing. His cats. 

“How did you die?” he hears Jisung’s voice reaching out to him and he struggles to form coherent words, describing what he is seeing now. His body lying on a stage, people staring at him in shock. “I-I fell while dancing” 

“How did you fall?”

“I-I was doing a tumbling kick when I felt pain in my chest. I think I-I h-hit my head while falling” He doesn’t notice the tears streaming down his face, coating his cheeks until a warm hand brushes them away. A rushing feeling crawls from deep inside, retiring his hand from Jeongin’s abruptly to hold Jisung as he cries in his arms, more memories filling up the spaces in his brain and more tears streaming down his face. 

Due the abrupt movement, Jeongin is drawn out from his trans, light leaving his hand and an headache itching at the corner of his head. He sighs as the watches the scene unfolding. _It’s okay, hyung. You will be okay._

**_I hope so_ **

Jeongin can only open his eyes wide when he hears Minho’s voice answering back his thoughts. He decides that _this_ can wait another week, maybe month. He doesn’t want to find out more now. He should not be greedy.

❄

Later at night, Minho lies closer to the younger, back in their dorm room. They both stare at the ceiling while wrapped in Jisung’s fuzzy and warm covet. The single bed is too small for both of them, but they make it work it by pressing closer to each other, the cold air of the room as another excuse. 

“Hyung” Jisung says first, voice quiet until it dies in the back of his throat, unsure “Can I ask you-”

“-What’s like dying?” Minho speaks for him, playing with hem of the covet until he reaches the younger’s little finger. “Yes, but If you don’t want-”

“It’s like being born, only backwards.. I guess I didn’t go where I was supposed to.. I stayed behind” He answers before the other can finish his sentence. 

“How can you be born backwards?” Jisung says under his breath, tugging the covet closer to himself, making the older chuckle because he knows what he is thinking. “I don’t know but I guess you could describe it like so”

_I don’t think I’ll ever understand it. At least until I die too._

As soon as Minho hears it, he turns around on his side, enveloping him in a tight koala-like hug. “You don’t need to understand it”

“H-hyung. I-I can’t breath”

“Shit, sorry” 

“I was joking”

Minho narrows his eyes at him, going back to hug him tighter this time. “Can I keep you with me?”

“Am I dog?”

“A quokka”

“HYUNG!”

  
  


**4**

It’s a common day of early December when Seungmin decides to perform the ritual. Yes, his best friend's words played his part, Hyunjin’s reassuring presence and his fingers carding through his own while he studied played their part too. Althought it came out more as a slight preassure on his skin. To think that he wanted to ignore the older. What a joke. 

But what rushed him was totally a different story. It had been days. Whenever he was with Hyunjin, mainly in the back of the library where no one really went to, he swore he could make out the shadow of a black cloak walking around. 

Seungmin was not clueless, and he had read a lot of stories about death, gods, guardians, grim reapers and such. (Jeongin being his roommate, proved his knowledge) And that shadow surely reminded him of one. 

And when he saw its face clearly, dread ate him up. He didn’t even pack his things when he stumbled upon his chair, the grim reaper disappearing once he realized the human had seen him. 

Hyunjin stared at him, confused. Then proceeding to ask with his hand outstretched to the reach the other’s. “Are you okay? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” 

Seungmin gripped his hand only for his fingers to go through him. He wanted to tug the other along with him but he couldn't. "I'll run in two seconds. Follow me" He ran as fast as he could, scaring the few students along the hallway because who would ran in the hallway of a college at 6 pm like he had seen death in front of his eyes? But he didn’t care. He had to talk to Jeongin, the faster, the better. There was no way he was going to lose Hyunjin now, in his heart he just new, it was not time for him to go yet.

By the time they arrived at his dorm, he had already made up his mind. He was going to perform the ritual. And there was no turning back. 

❄

“Are you sure you want to do this, Seungmin?” Hyunjin questions, glancing at the tensed boy in front of him, as Jeongin drew pentagram lines on the floor around the ghost. Once he finished, he put back the silver chalk in his bag, putting it away. 

When Seungmin didn’t answer, the ghost pressed his hand on his cheek , catching his attention when Seungmin felt the cold touch. “I asked are you really sure about it?”. He gains a nod and a quiet “I’m sure”

“Don’t lie to me”

“I’m scared I can’t do it” 

“You can, don’t worry too much” Jeongin blurts out, opening the book on the right page, while giving it to the older. “Read it out loud”

“But why this is different from Jisung’s?” Seungmin wonders out loud, gripping the book in his hands as he stares at the words etched on a worn out page. 

“Because Hyunjin is different from Minho. He is been wandering for 20 years. If we do it the way Jisung did it, Hyunjin is going to be stuck with the body of a 40 years old. And as much as love has no age, I’m sure Hyunjin hyung would like to enjoy his youth since he didn’t get to”

“And I’m sure Seungmin, you wouldn’t like to be stuck with a 40 years old” the ghost reasons, peeking on the book to get a closer look of the spell. 

“Well, I could let it pass for my sugar daddy”

“Okay, enough. Stop rumbling. Start ritualing. Hyunjin get in the centre” Jeongin instructs, hushing the two older to start working. 

“Where did the word hyung go to?”

“Hell, now if you don’t want me to send you there…”

Needless to say, Hyunjin rushes to the center of the Pentagram, hands on his sides as he waited for it to happen. The pentagram shines brighter once he steps in the middle, Seungmin in front of him. He watches as Jeongin passes Seungmin a lighted candle, informing him on what to do. “Blow out the candle when you finish reading it three times”

_Soul rushes to its body_

_Youth surges and memories flow_

_Life and death meet again_

_like the sun embraces the moon_

_Rise up above again_

_until you find what was yours_

_once again_

This time there are no burst of light, no glittery peaks in the air. When Seungmin pronounces the spell three times and blows out the candle, the pentagram on the floor bleeds red as it shrinks gradually. 

_Look at me, Hyunjin_

_I’m looking at you_

The smaller drawing stops right at the ghost feet, a red halo slowly enveloping him, from head to toes. Hyunjin closes his eyes on reflex, feeling a kind of warmth flowing back to him. He swear he can hear the blood pumping back in his heart, flowing in his veins. As soon as the red light came, it’s gone. The pentagram broken and the ghost alive again. 

“Welcome back to the human world, Hyunjin hyung. Welcome back”

Seungmin runs to the taller, tightly hugging him and being finally able to feel texture of his skin on his, warmth under his fingers and his natural human scent. “Finally you don’t smell of death anymore”

“Thank you?”

“I have never seen Seungmin hugging anyone, wow good job hyung!” Jeongin claps, picking up the book from the table and putting it back under his pillow. 

“This is probably the only time you’ll see it” Seungmin answers, as his grip on the older tightens and buries his nose in the crock of Hyunjin’s neck, smelling peaches. “Why do I smell peaches?”

“Did you say bitches or-”

“He said peaches, Jeongin.” 

If there’s one voice that makes Jeongin quake for a moment, then stop in his track, that would be a certain someone’s. He rushes to the still hugging duo, protecting them with his own body. “What do you want, Changbin hyung?”

Upon hearing Jeongin’s serious voice, the two break the hug, looking in the direction the new voice came. A short boy, Seungmin would argue, stood in front of them, black cloak covering his body and a weird wooden stick in his left hand. His eyes widened in realization when the mysterious person covered his head with the hood. He hides Hyunjin behind himself on reflex, who cluelessly asks “Jeonginie, what is going on? Is that a grim reaper?” 

“I can’t believe you induced a human to perform a summoning ritual TWO times, Jeongin”

“But hyung” Jeongin whines, hoping he could outdo the other with his fake cuteness.“What, what?” Changbin starts, hitting the floor with his wooden stick twice and then pointing it to him “You know what you did, don’t act all cut-” 

“What the fuck is happening here? Why is it so dark?” a deep booming voice echoes in Jeongin and Seungmin’s shared dorm. 

_Oh, fuck Felix hyung. He is so gonna faint if he sees hyung like this._

“Seungmin? Jeongin? What are you two doing? Come on guys, I’m gonna turn on the lights. You are not four years old anymore!!” the purple haired boy turns on the lights, walking through the small corridor, reaching Jeongin’s room. 

Said boy closes his eyes, bearing himself for what was going to happen. Changbin could disappear in general, well if he hadn’t protections spell in his room where the older’s power didn’t work that well. “Oh, you two are not alone, I see? Who is that in the cloak?”

“Felix hyung, please don’t look” Seungmin suggests, his arms still on the taller behind him. 

“Why?”

“You are going to get scared”

“Are you filming an horror movie or what?” Felix snorts, walking up to the one covered with a cloak, to see who was under it. “Halloween passed already, come on-” he stops when all he could see was a skeleton face, he screamed before passing out “WHAT THE FUCK”

Changbin reached out to him before his head could meet the harden floor, the hood of his cloak falling behind his head, revealing his human form. “Great, just great. He is not supposed to see me like this! Jeongin help me, what am I going to do now? Don’t smirk at me, I know what you are thinking”

But well, the younger’s smirk only grew bigger. _You help me, I help you._

_I should’ve taken your soul when you were born, brat_

_You love me hyung_

❄

Half an hour later they are all sitting down in Jeongin’s room, besides Felix, who lies on the bed, still unconscious. The way Changbin glances at him every once in a while doesn’t go unnoticed by the younger of the group. “Why is the grim reaper still with us?” Hyunjin asks with his long legs sprawled on the floor and his arms around Seungmin. 

“Because that little shit puts protective spells in his room and I can’t get out of here until he lets me” Changbin answers before his younger cousin beats him to. “Can you stop calling me little shit?”

“Not until you let me out”

“I’m not going to, until we get a deal”

“Jeongin. As much as I love you because we are cousins, I can’t overlook the fact you induced two humans to use summoning spells. And you know I was searching for their souls” he tries to reason, underlying his last words. 

“You can’t take them with you” Seungmin speaks before Jeongin can retorts, gripping Hyunjin’s arm hard enough the taller can feel his skin hurting a bit, winching in discomfort. Noticing this, Seungmin lets go uttering an apology and rubbing his arm to soothe the skin. 

Changbin shakes his head at the duo, the palm of his hand meeting his own forehead in despair. “Grandmother would not be happy about this”

“She will understand”

“Jeongin”

“Changbin hyung”

“I’m afraid I can’t do anything to protect all of you from the punishment they are going to give you”

“Come on, hyung. We can explain everything to them”

“It’s only a legend. Stop being stuck in the past!” He scolds the younger but his eyes inevitably land on the drooling boy, still asleep on the bed before looking back to his cousin. “I’ll give you Felix’s soul”

“JEONGIN!”

The commotion wakes Felix up, groaning and moving around on the bed as if he was trying to get more comfortable. “Can’t you stop screaming?” he mumbles, licking his lips in the process and almost dozing off again, but then he remembers the reason he passed out to begin with. His eyes fly open and he is met with four pairs staring at him. “Where did the skeleton go? Omg Jeongin you and your stupid pranks.”

“Are you okay?” Changbin asks concerned, ignoring the way Jeongin is smirking at him from the corner of his eyes. There’s a long sigh in his mind that reaches the younger. 

“Did he put a spell on you too?” Felix asks, taking him by surprise. Changbin nods, before he can say something else, the purple haired boy beats him, lamenting. “Jeongin you should stop, the school is already scared enough”

“Well, my cousin is okay. Don’t worry”

“If you say so” he utters before giving the once skeleton a big encouraging smile. And Changbin is stuck, again. _I will never forget that smile_

_oh I know hyung_

_stop listening to my thoughts_

****  
_How can we avoid the punishment?_

Changbin glances at Felix, who was now happily chatting with Hyunjin, even if he had never met him before. _Well, if you give me his-_

_I’M are NOT giving YOU HIS SOUL for real_

Changbin almost throws his wooned stick at the younger due to the implication of his words

_I mean HIS NUMBER, HIS NUMBER_

_well, maybe. If he wants_

_Then I’m taking Minho and Hyunjin with me_

_He is going to give you his number if he wants. We are going to ask him, it’s what we should do._

“Hey, Felix. Hyung, wants to get to know you. Can you give him your number?”

“Sure, why not” the purple haired shrugs his shoulders, taking his phone from his pockets to hand it to him. “Save yours here, I’ll text you back!” If he wasn’t dead, Changbin would have blushed. He picks the phone, typing his number in before giving it back. 

_I can’t believe you are allowed to have a phone, Hyung_

_shut up, kid_

_don’t call me kid or I’ll spill the beans_

_I hate you. I have to go now. Free me. Let’s meet later. I’ll see what I can do for you all._

Okay, you can go. 

❄

_“the higher ups won’t punish you but you must abide to their request. If you don’t, you know what will happen to your friends”_

_“What’s it about?”_

_“You’ll help with collecting souls of ghost wandering in this school. I can feel there’s plenty of them here. And some of them are not cute.”_

_“What about Hyunjin? Do I enroll him in this school too?”_

_“You know what to do, Jeongin”_

Jeongin keeps replaying the conversation he had with his cousin earlier. He lies on his bed, hands pillowing his head as he tries to figure out a way to tell his friends they had to form some kind of ghostbusters’ squad. He sets for a simple text in the group chat-room he had just created. 

**InnieSatan666**

So, let me get this straight

If we don’t catch the ghosts in this school, we are going to die

**Squirrel00**

I knew from the start I shouldn’t have trusted you, Jeongin

**L.M.H**

Whatever, I’m not going back to that cemetery soon

**Sungmean00**

You’ve probably heard me heavily sighing because we share the same flat 

but that’s what we get for being stupid

and in love, i guess

**L.M.H**

Who’s in love?

**InnieSatan666**

Let’s not talk about complicated matters

**Squirrel00**

What’s more complicated than ghosts and summoning the dead?

**InnieSatan666**

Love? WHatEVER

do you agree or do you want to be dead?

**Squirrel00**

I AGREE FUCK 

**L.M.H**

Quoting

**Suuungmininthebuiilding**

I want to enjoy my days with Hyunjin so I agree

Jeongin sighs, putting his phone down and hiding himself under his covers. He knows this is all his fault, but what he could do about it? He only wanted his friends to be happy, again.

❄

It’s a quiet sunday morning when they catch the first ghost. Neither of them had expected to catch one in the middle of the cafeteria at 10 in the morning. Heck, Jisung didn’t even know how he was up that early, going to eat breakfast with his ghostbuster squad- friends. 

There weren’t many students up since it was sunday and it meant either recovering from an hangover or sleeping till late just for the sake of it. Also, Hyunjin was again a student in this school even if being skin and bones again kinda of triggered memories he thought he had forgotten along his wandering. 

“Can you pass me the jam?” Jeongin asks as he takes a toast for himself. Minho passes him the adzuki beans jam he was reaching for as he munches on croissant and drinks his coffee, black with no sugar. 

“I still don’t get how can you drink that shit!” Jisung eyes the older, face scrunching everytime he takes a sip. “It’s good”

“Hyunjin drinks the same shit, I don’t know how they do it!” Seungmin adds as Hyunjin almost drops the cup of coffee on his shirt. Soon, tissues are passed over his way and he grabs them, grateful.

Minho is still drinking his coffee when he splurts it, some of it reaches Jeongin whose is sitting in front of him, who scowls. “What the fuck, i don’t want your dirty water-” 

“Jeongin, turn around. Why is that thing green?”

“What thing?” Jeongin turns around nonchalantly, nibbling on his toast and nearly chokes when he sees a ghost a weirdly green colour. He coughs, but soon regains control over his body. “Quick, don’t stare at it. We’ll do this quietly. Seungmin, do you still have the red beans?”

“Yes, why?”

“I need to throw them at him?” Jeongin reasons, putting his hands up like he wanted to prove a point. “That’s not quiet”

“I don’t car- why are you passing me the jam? omg don’t tell me you made jam out of the beans I gave you!” he complains, hiding his face in his hands. 

“The ghost looks hungry, we could just feed him and call Changbin hyung”

“Are we sure it’s a ghost, and not a mutant?” Jisung mumbles, while taking a sip from his orange juice.

“Jisung”

“What”

“Just shut up and prepare me another toast”

Once the toast is ready, Jeongin heads up to the green-looking ghost in order to give him food. He looks around, finding no one but the old lady who runs the cafeteria asleep on the counter. _Thank, heaven_. 

“Changbin hyung” he whispers, hoping his cousin could get there the fastest. He curses when he hears a familiar voice calling his name “Jeongin?” 

_fuck, why does Felix always appear in the worst moments?_

“ Why were you putting a toast on the floo- wait when did it disappear?” Felix continues since the younger was not giving him an answer. He hadn’t noticed the older was there too. “Oh, hi Changbin hyung!”

_Fuck, hyung when did you appear?_

_Get him away from here, fast._

“Oi Felix, I have something to show you. Quick come with me” He grips his wrist, to drag him, letting Changbin take the ghost with him successfully. 

“What do you have to show me?”

“Just some flowers” 

The back of the cafeteria is filled with plants and flowers of different species and colours. The old lady who runs it was often seen, taking care of the vegetation during early morning and late nights. The whole place emits a soft warmth and radiance. “Here they are. Look. they were just watered”

“Omg they are transparent” Felix points out to a specific kind of flower he had never seen before. “Yeah, they turn like this when wet”

“What they are called?”

“Diphylleia grayi”

“I see” Felix giggles to himself “You know, they kind of remind me of your cousin. Don’t know why though”

“Changbin hyung?” he asks as Felix nods, staring at the flower in front of him. _Well, you are not so wrong._

❄

Another month passed, they had catched a good amount of ghost making Jeongin’s grandmother content with their work. There were no other ghosts around for the time being, and everyone was enjoying their “free” time while also keeping their eyes wide open. 

Well some of them more than others.

It didn’t help that Minho and Jisung had started secretly going on dates after each ghosts’ rapture. Surely, it didn’t go unnoticed by Jeongin. Besides, it was only matter of time for the two of them to start developing romantic feelings for each other. And the youngest just knew it. Even if their words denied it in front of their friends, their actions told otherwise. 

“Jisung”

“Yes, hyung” Jisung replies absently, focusing on the research papers in front of him as he types away words after words. “You’ve been ignoring me too much, don’t you think?” the older asks sarcastic, back resting against the door of Jisung’s room.

“Why do you say so?” Jisung replies as he underlines in bright peach colour yet another paragraph. Minho huffs, facepalming because sometimes the younger doesn’t notice when he is trying to get his attention. “I don’t get you, we’ve been going on dates for like what? A month since the cantin’s ghost accidents and you’ve given me the cold shoulder for the past week!”

“Can we talk about it later?” Jisung drops the pencil on the desk as he messes up with his hair, annoyed. Not by his hyung’s words but by the chinese text in front of his eyes. 

“Are you annoyed with me, now?” Minho scoffs, detaching from the door to approach the other. He turns the chair around, facing him. He is eager to get an answer out of his pretty lips as he taps the floor with his foot and crosses his arms at his chest, pretending to be the one who’s annoyed now. 

Jisung sighs, reaching for his hands as holds them in his own “I’m not annoyed at you, it’s just-” He pauses, finding the right words “this research is stressing me and I’m scared I may not be able to graduate” 

Minho stares at him for a few second, just playing with his hands. Until he tugs Jisung forward to his own body, making him stand up. There’s a playful smile on his lips when the brown haired boy falls on his chest (and not on the ground, thankfully) “You need some love-love session”

Jisung snorts, pulling away with red coloured cheeks and stuttering words “I-I don’t need l-love-love sessions. Just say it’s you that want some”

Minho looks at him bewildered “I mean yes! I could get a real kiss out of this since you only let me hold your hands and kiss your cheeks. And as much as I love and cherish every little moment, I think you would like being graced my beautiful, cheshire looking-” he stops mind-sentence when Jisung’s hands are on his face, squishing his cheeks together and finally kissing him.

A peck, than another and another, until it tickles and Minho is left giggling. “Is it okay, now?”

“Mmhh probably no” He smirks before he picks the younger up, only to throw both of them on the bed right beside them. “Ouch, your thighs are killing me!”

“Well, glad to know I have that effect on you!” 

“Hyung, not metaphorically speaking!” Jisung’s hits him on the shoulder hard enough because the other can’t feel physical pain anyways. “Oh right” he moves a bit, just not to crush the younger under his weight “Can I-?”

“What? Drown me in kisses? Yes, you can. Hurry up, I have to finish stuff and you t-”. Minho closes the gap before he can finish his sentence. He drags his lips on the other’s cheeks, playfully biting at them and planting soothing raspberry kisses on the skin soon after. 

“Can you stop treating my cheeks like it's food-?” Minho pecks him again, biting his upper lip to annoy the younger. He manages to let out a small whine, when the older decides it’s a good idea for his hands to land on his ass “H-hyung”

“What?”

The younger whines again, cheeks redder than before as he gathers the courage to circle Minho’s neck with his arms and kiss him senseless. 

They don't notice a ghost seeping through the walls like he was in a hurry, like he was running from something or better someone. It stops when he catches the sight of the couple making out in front of him. Breathy moans leaves Jisung’s throat as Minho pulls away from his lips, only to attack his neck and circle the younger’s legs around his waist. Hands running up and own along thinner thighs. “M-minho”

  
  


The ghost for the first time thanks god for being _well, a ghost_ since they wouldn’t be able to see him. They wouldn’t mind if he ogled a bit right? 

  
  


But the people bursting through Jisung and Minho’s dorm as the older sucked hickeys all over his collarbones, thought different. “OMG HYUNG WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Jeongin screams as he holds the ghost on spot with a talisman and throws a shoe on the couple. In less than a second, Minho finds himself on the cold floor, being shoved away by Jisung. Jeongin’s voice startled him. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?”

“For once I was getting some love” Minho laments but stops when he notices the ghost held at gunpoint, metaphorically. “OMG IS THAT A GHOST?” 

“No shit sherlock!” Jeongin mocks him “If you would pay attention to your surroundings, you would have noticed sooner?”

“How can I pay attention when Minho’s all over me? And it’s not my fault that pervert ghost was in our room” Jisung defends him, moving his hands around. Jeongin rolls his eyes at him “Whatever, just remember to use protection. CHANGBIN HYUNG MOVE YOUR ASS OVER HERE”

The two cousins move fast, bringing the ghost away and leaving the two alone and away from their eyes. Although, Jeongin shoves his older cousin with his foot because _don’t think about Felix hyung like that when I can HEAR your thoughts._

The room is filled with an awkward silence as Jisung hugs his pillow and Minho stands up to sit on the bed, the mood totally gone from before. “Why do we always get interrupted when we are together?” Jisung is first to break the silence. Minho shrugs his shoulder in response, not sure how to answer. “Wanna get take outs and watch cat videos until we fall asleep?”

Jisung takes one last glance at the papers all over his desk before he throws his hands up in defeat “Sure, cuddle me until I can’t feel my soul”

  
  
  
  
  


And if they manage to lip-lock again, phones forgotten on the bed, is no ones’s fault.

❄

It’s just any other day of January when Changbin decides to stay around for a while pretending to be a student, thanks to the headmaster and his step-cousin. And he is so glad he has made that decision when things he didn’t expect, happened. It happened all so fast, Hyunjin running all the way to the cafeteria to inform them.

The tall boy painted, trying to explain what happened without alarming everyone but Jeongin and Changbin. “There’s a vengeful spirit in the class I share with Felix. The teacher got possessed. Others can’t see it but I can. Everytime I would look at the teacher, his skull was on fire”

“How about Felix?” Changbin asks immediately, dropping his sandwich on the table. 

“He is still in class. What can we do?”

“I’ll call Woojin hyung, we need a priest” Jeongin gets up, phone in his right hand, ready to call his brother for help. 

“He is not really a priest, Jeongin!”

“It’s to scare the spirit, hyung. Go with Hyunjin, I’ll go and pick Woojin hyung”

“Why? What’s more scary than a grimreaper?”

Hyunjin shrugged his shoulder while Jeongin hushed them outside the cafateria “A crucifix” 

“We don’t have much time, Jeongin”

“Don’t worry, I know exactly where my brother is”

And if Jeongin finds his older brother making out with the headmaster in his office, that’s another story to be told. “Woojin hyung, Chan hyung. We have a problem, stop sucking faces”

❄

_“You know this is illegal right?”_

_“I don’t care. Turn on the fire allarm. I need to vacate that classroom. Woojin hyung, let’s go!”_

Jisung had just gotten out from the secretary office, looking annoyed as hell when he spotted Jeongin and Woojin. The latter was dressed up as priest again, rushing somewhere along the younger. 

Suddenly, the fire allarm went off, sensors opening and water coming out from the ceiling, meant to put a fire that Jisung’s got an hunch just knows there wasn’t. _Fuck, I’m gonna follow them. This is not right._

Students are running everywhere, no one knowing where the fire had started and why. One guy steps on his left foot and he curses out loud, before running away in the same direction the two brothers took off. 

“Jeongin! Wait!” He yells when he makes out the familiar mop of pink hair, right in front of a big classroom, built to resemble an amphitheater. Jeongin doesn’t let him speak further. He takes him by the wrist, dragging him inside with only a few words making their way past his lips. “We need your help too” 

“What the hell is going on?” Jisung pries, eyes darting to look at Woojin first, before redirecting them to his brother “And why are we hiding in a classroom?”

“You see that teacher’s over there?” Jeongin points out with a finger. Said teacher stands in front of the blackboard, writing in a language Jisung doesn’t know, but he bets it something demoniac. “Hyunjin said it’s possessed by a vengeful spirit”

“Yeah, I can se- why are Changbin, Felix and Hyunjin hidden over there? Omg Jeongin, we need to get Felix out of here!” he whispers once he catches the sight of his friends hidden a couple of stairs away on the left. 

“We will, but we need to take that shit over there out. And the more human energy we have here, the better” he explains, taking his grandmother’s book out of the baby blue bag he sported on his back. 

“But Felix-”

“Changbin is with him, Jeongin will erase his memories after all of this” Woojin interrupts him, putting his hand over the other’s mouth since he was talking too loud. “What do we do then?”

“I’ll go first” the pink haired boy searches quickly through his book, finding what he was looking for. He hands it to Jisung. “Woojin hyung come with me. When I say now, you read this text for 5 times behind here.” 

Jisung’s face pales with fear of having to read a spell again but takes the book in his hands anyways. “B-but why me?”

“Because Seungmin is not here, and you are the only one who can read spells beside him apparently” Jeongin gets up, followed by Woojin, who holds his holy water in his right hand and crucifix in his left. The two quickly but quietly make their way down the stairs, connecting the front of the class to the back. 

Felix spots the back of his friends running down quickly towards the mad professor writing mysterious words on the board. He goes to stand up, wanting to call his friends’ name when Changbin puts an hand over his mouth, staring at him and shaking his head. Unspoken words are exchanged _don’t say anything, trust me._

The purple haired boy pleads him, glacing at the two boys with his eyes. The thing Changbin doesn’t know is that Felix can actually see _them_ too, but he pretends he doesn’t. The fear of seeing things he isn’t supposed to, leaves with anxiety, that he chooses to ignore. Changbin holds his face between his hands, sensing fear. He caresses his cheeks with delicate fingers. He shouldn’t use his powers but he does it anyway. 

_We are going to take care of this, trust us and stay with Hyunjin here once I go there, okay?_

Felix’s eyes double in size as he swears he can hear Changbin’s voice but he is sure the latter is not speaking right now, lips shut tightly. _H-hyung, what.._

_Stay here, Felix_

Changbin lets him go once the younger reluctantly nods. He snuggles closer to Hyunjin, who wraps his arms around him. The eldest gets up, covering his head with his hood, and soon enough human Changbin is not there anymore, his grimreaper’s form taking over him. He quickly joins his two cousins on the platform, standing in circle around the spirit,. who’s still too preoccupied with writing nonsense on a blackboard to notice the three. 

“Troublesome ghost” Changbin speaks first, wanting to waste no time. And he is glad he doesn’t have actual ears in his form when the chalk makes a stridule sound against the surface, the teacher abruptly stopping his movements. “Turn around” Woojin instructs, a firm grip on his holy water. 

The ghost sniffles the air inquisitive and when he realizes who is corning him, he turns around slowly, ready to throw at them the chalk covered with fire, just like his skull and and take off. But Jeongin has him pinned to his place, the red mark on the palm of his hand showing upfront. “Where are you going, ghost?”

“Let me go, you stupid shaman. Let me go” The spirit struggles to move despite being held in place by the shaman’s talisman, drawn on his hand. “I’m not stupid, ghost!”

“Why are you here?” Woojin firstly asks, opening the bottle of holy water, ready to throw on the ghost if he keeps saying that his baby brother is stupid. “What brought you here?”

“It’s not your business, priest! Keep that holy water away from me!” 

“It is” Changbin snorts, his wooden sceptre appearing in his left hand “Since I’m gonna take your soul back to hell” 

If spirits could roll their eyes, the troublesome ghost is surely doing that by now “If you take me with you like this, I’m going to take this teacher with me, grim reaper””

“NOW!” Jeongin shouts, taking advantage of the ghost’s distracted state. His shout draws Jisung’s attention on them. The squirrel like (I’m sorry, I ran out of pronouns) boy chants the spell five times, just as Jeongin had instructed him to. But it does nothing and Jisung panics, hitting the floor with the book. “OMG JEONGIN WHY DOESN’T IT WORK?”

“JISUNG?” Felix yells as he jerks up briskly, surprised his friend he is there too. Hyunjin struggling to keep him down. “F-felix, calm down”

The ghost notices the way the grimreaper’s hood pools behind his head as he turns around, screaming at the purple haired boy. His skeleton form still present, although he was not wearing his hood “FELIX, GET DOWN IMMEDIATELY!” 

_I see where all of this going then, grim reaper._ An evil smirk plays on the spirit’s lips as he takes interest in the boy behind the middle rows of seats. 

“OMG THAT GRIM REAPER AGAIN! OMG WHERE DID CHANGBIN HYUNG GO?!?” Felix shouts as his eyes roll back and loses his balance, although Hyunjin is there to catch him in arms.

The grimreaper grimaces as he see the younger’s eyes lolling back and losing conscious. He doesn’t notice how he stepped outside the outline he had created with Jeongin and Woojin. A slight slip, just enough to make Jeongin breaks a sweat, his palm on fire because of the pain, until he can’t hold it anymore and collapse on his knees, rendering the talisman useless. 

It happens in a blur of a moment. The spirit flies out of the teacher’s body, coming at the unconscious boy at full speed. Woojin is the first to react, throwing the holy water at him, followed by the crucifix before the spirit could trespass Felix’s body completely.

“OMG FELIX! OMG I WAS READING IT UPSIDE DOWN! FUCK MY LIFE!” Jisung curses as his notices he was holding the book upside down. There’s panic in his voice when he reads the spell five times, correctly this time. There’s fear all over his face when he sees the ghost writhing in pain in the air, surrounded by flames as a whole. There’s ash on the ground when Changbin manages to touch the ghost. But there’s guilt on his face when all he can see is Felix’s closed eyes. 

  
  
  


❄

“What if he marked him?” Changbin paces back and forth in Jeongin’s bathroom as Woojin tends to the younger’s burned palm. He hisses in pain as his brother applies medical herbs on it before fastening a soft fabric over it. Nevertheless, he is about to answer but Woojin beats him, “He didn’t stay in his body enough to do it” 

“He fucking went through him” 

“Well, if you maybe didn’t break the circle!” Jeongin blurts out, getting up to go and check upon his friend. He stops when he realizes what he has said, because he just knows how guilt must be eating his cousin inside out. “I’m sorry hyung, I didn-”

“No, you are right” Changbin speaks, his back making contact with the hard wall of the bathroom, head tilted up against the white tiles. He hits the back of his head against it repeatedly as he continues “It’s all my fault. It’s all my f-” 

Woojin touches his shoulder, managing to stop the grim reaper of splitting his head while in his human form. “We all should have been more careful, Changbin. He is going to be okay. Chan has already checked up on him. He is fine”

“If I didn’t scar-”

“Hyung, he was not scared by you. He was scared because he couldn’t see _his changbin hyung_ anywhere else in the room. And because he can see _them_ too. He just ignores everything, or at least tries to.”

Changbin sighs and slaps his own face once. “I’m staying here tonight” 

❄

Seungmin, Jisung and Minho sits on the floor in Jeongin’s room. In front of them, Felix is resting on the bed, drained by the events. Nothing surprised them anymore when the headmaster checked up on him personally, telling them not worry because their friend would be fine. That he wasn’t affected in any way to possible cause damage.

“I brought food guys, you all should eat” Hyunjin says, opening the door and putting all the food on Jeongin’s desk. “Where are the others?” 

“In the bathroom”

“Did you buy something for when Felix wakes up?” Seungmin glances at the boy on the bed, while standing up. He had not been there, but seeing his friend again looking on the verge of death, stirred unknown feelings inside him. “Yes, porridge. Jeongin can heat it up with magic later”

As if on cue, said pink haired boy joins them, the palm of his right hand covered with a soft fabric. He sighs once he takes in the state of his friend. “Any signs of consciousness?”

“The headmaster said he would wake up soon, maybe a couple of hours. We need to wait and see” Minho answers, getting up to divide the food between them. “Let’s eat a little and wait for him”

Changbin and Woojin join them a while later, sitting in circle on the floor. The formes goes to sit closer to the bed, glancing from time to time to the sleeping boy, keeping an eye on him. 

“Did Chan hyung say something about any possible mark when we went to the bathroom?” Changbin asks, watching the others eat something to regain their energy. 

Minho shakes his head, putting a dumpling in his mouth. “He didn’t. But I noticed something weird on his collarbones. It may just be a birthmark though” 

“What do you mean by weird?” Jisung asks, stressing the word weird as he eats his convenience store ramen away. “Just unusual. Like a feather”

Jeongin and Woojin stop eating at the same time, looking at each other before redirecting their gaze at Changbin. “Hyung” Jeongin speaks first, cleaning his mouth with a tissue “You don’t think-”

“It’s impossible”

“What do you mean by impossible? We are literally seeing ghosts, chanting spells and you are grim reaper for the sake of Buddha” Seungmin butts in, even if he doesn’t know what they are talking about, he still wanted to prove a point.

“What are you guys implying?” Hyunjin asks carefully, putting an hand on the Jeongin’s shoulder to catch his attention.

“I need to check it first with my own eyes” Jeongin gets up, approaching the bed. He carefully lowers down the collar of the loose shirt Felix was wearing after they changed his clothes. He gasps once he notices the faint silver lines on the feather-shaped birthmark on his right collarbone. “Well, Changbin hyung. You might want to see this”

Changbin shots up to take a closer look. He didn’t believe it when Jeongin mentally implied it, but now that he is seeing it from up close, he doesn’t know if he can deny it. “That’s the angel’s mark. It’s clear as water, hyung”

“So.. Felix in an angel?” Jisung peaks from their shoulder to understand what was going on. 

“He is been blessed by an angel, but he is not one”

“Cool”

“What does that means?” Hyunjin takes a peak too, eyeing the birthmark with discretion.

“There are two meanings” Jeongin starts “One, he is that he is going to be okay for sure now that we know. The second..” he stops, the words tangling in his throat. 

Noticing his brother troubled state, Woojin speaks for him, hand on his shoulder “We might be in big trouble cause he got hurt”

“Grandmother is not going to like this” Jeongin panics, gripping his hair in frustration. “I can ask Chan for help, Jeongin. I’m sure Grandmother would listen to him”

“She won’t” Changbin answers “This time, she won’t”

❄

It takes a few hours for Felix to wake up. But when he does, everyone sighs in relief. Changbin’s heart, or what it’s left of his heart, double knots as he takes in the frail state of the younger. He knows that the other is much more stronger than what he lets on, but still he can’t bear the sight. He doesn’t want to be the cause of his pain. 

He also knows what his cousin is doing right at the moment, hushing everyone out of the room with the weirdest excuses in order to leave the two alone. He doesn’t know if he wants to be alone with Felix, he doesn’t want to scare him further. 

Still, he stays, sitting on the floor just beside the bed where the purple haired boy is resting. Although, he can feel the slight tension in him from the way he turns and turns in the covers or the small sighs escaping his lips. 

He gets up, sitting on the bed to place an hand over Felix’s curled form, who grows even more tensed at the touch only to relax a moment later, giving in the touch. “Felix”

There is no response, prompting the grim reaper call him by his full korean name, before asking a question. “I know you are awake, and I know you have questions. What’s it about?”

Felix cracks his eyes open, finally moving to a sitting position. The covers fall from his body, making his shiver due to the cold air of the room. Changbin could get up and take the really nice duvet from the chair, but he doesn’t really want to. Instead, he extends his hand and before Felix can even comment it, the duvet is all over his shoulders, wrapping around him and keeping him warm. “Thanks”

“Aren’t you scared by the things we can do?”

Felix shakes his head “I’m not scared of the things you can do. I’m scared of _them_ ”

“The ghosts?” he asks, carefully. Although he really wants to hold Felix’s hand in that moment, he doesn’t. The purple haired nods twice, cocking his head on the left “But not only ghosts, there’s much more lurking in this building”

“I know but they won’t hurt you”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

“Because of that one mark you have over your collarbones” Changbin answers, moving his hand to touch the fabric of the duvet, resting just above where his neck would be. “Changbin hyung, why do I feel like we’ve met before?”

He should have known that sooner or later Felix would have asked him. But as much as he loves the person right in front of him, he knows he can’t say much more. Not in this life, not now. “I don’t know. Maybe we met before, but I don’t know”

“I know you are lying to me”

“Felix, I’m sorr-” The younger smiles bitterly, and before he can keep going, Felix takes a grip on the front of his shirt, pulling him towards himself. “I know we shouldn’t but I can’t keep this bottled inside any longer”

“Felix, you don’t under-” Changbin’s words die in his throat and gets muffled by the sudden pressure of lips over his, molding oh so perfectly but oh so short-lived. Felix detaches himself first, although he had been the one to kiss him first. “You are wrong, Changbin hyung. I do understand, but I had to do it. Even if it meant for the last time”

“Do you know what I am, right?”

“I can imagine”

“No, you don’t. I’m a grim reaper. You know what it means right? I take people’s soul when they die”

“I know what it means. I watched Goblin last year” he tries to reason, blinking and mumbling under his breath. 

“And what is that?”

“A korean drama about-”

_*mental sigh* Mundane things, mundane things._ “Anyways” he interrupts before the conversation could stray away, smiling bitterly “After this, we’ll probably not be able to see each other. People over there are not so happy about me and Jeongin, so I must take my distances”

“When?”

“I don’t know. It might happen any given moment” Changbin answers truthfully, mustering the courage of taking Felix’s hand in his, like he wanted to from the first moment he saw him. 

“Can.. you-”

“Can I what?”

“Stay with me before that happens?”

“Felix, I don’t thin-”

“Please” he begs, lips curling in a pout and eyes growing impossibly softer. 

“Okay, I’ll stay”

“Really?”

“Yes”

And for the first time since they’ve met, Felix doesn’t show him a bitter smile. He gives a small but genuine one, as if the idea of Changbin staying with him, even if it meant for the last time, gave him hope, warming his heart, filling him with contentment.

It happens again.

Before he can even react again, the younger presses his lips on his own again, ever so delicate.But this time, he is no fool. He kisses back, pulling the younger so close to him that he can hear that very same heartbeat he could never forget. 

❄

The room is dark, the only source of light coming from the lamp on Jisung’s nightstand. The air is chilly due to the open window Minho always leaves open at night, before sleeping. There are no spoken words. The two of them are lying on the older’s bed, side to side, fidgeting in their own silence. Until Jisung can’t take it no more, calling out the other’s name. “Minho”

Minho hums, condescending. Although doesn’t dare to speak yet. He doesn’t know what to say. Everything feels like it may end in a blink of an eye, a bat of eyelashes. Without even realizing. He feels tears trying to get past his eyes, betraying his own struggle to keep them in. If he speaks now, there is no way he could keep them in. So, he nudges Jisung’s side, signaling that he is listening to whatever the younger wants to say. 

“What do you think will happen? I’m so scared, hyung. I feel like I’m about to die and I didn’t even finish my powerpoint presentation. God! I really wanted to graduate first, you know” he rambles, whining because of the things he still hasn’t finished and of the things he probably won’t finish. “I don’t know what to do. Ever since I summoned you, i feel like our life is going down-spiral-”

“Do you regret it?” Minho manages to say, gritting his teeth cause there is no way he is going to burst in tears in front of the younger. With a shaky breath, he repeats again “Do you regret that moment?”

But when Jisung doesn’t answer, he feels like he could sob right at the moment, with no possible way of successfully keeping them. Then Jisung answers, and the tears escape his eyes anyways. “No, I don’t regret it but I feel like I’ve done something I shouldn’t have. Can you understand me?”

Minho hums as an answers, trying not to make any noise, hoping that the light of the lamp is not showing the mess happening on his face. He is about to turn around to go lay on his side, when Jisung stops him. The younger caresses his cheek with the back of his right hand, sustaining his own weight with his left arm. He wipes the tears away, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “ I don’t know how to explain how I feel about you and why, but I’d like for it to be love. I don’t know if what I have done is good or bad, but when I look at you, my heart forgets every doubt. But-”

Minho can’t take it anymore, he chokes on a sob, pulling the younger closer. Jisung clumsly falls on top of him, not expecting the older to react in such way and so suddenly. He rubs his back up and down, hoping it could bring comfort and kisses his neck, lovingly. “Hyung”

“ I-I c-an’t stop crying, I-I feel suffocating”

“Hyung, look at me. Talk to me, it’ll get better” Jisung obliges, detaching a little bit so that they could look at each other. “ I want you to be honest with me, how did you get in my room when I first saw you? Did you follow me?”

Minho nodded, looking away after meeting Jisung’s inquisitive gaze. However, his eyes are back on his face, when the younger turns his head towards himself, wiping another lonely tear. “Did we know each other before this?”

“I don’t know, Jisungie. I only remember seeing you in the cemetery every day and when you left that flower on my tomb, I felt like I could feel again even If I couldn’t”

“You saw me everyday?”

Minho nods, a genuine, small smile playing on his lips “Sometimes I would follow you around, you looked like you could hurt yourself anytime while going back and forth”

“I’m not that clumsy” he complains, lips pouty

“You read a spell upside down”

“Don’t remind me! Keep going!”

“It’s just... I was curious and followed you around. It was funny when you would turn around because you thought someone was staring at you or something”

“It was not funny. I honestly thought the dead were watching me and I guess I was not wrong” He slapped his chest, pointing a finger at him to prove a point. “Were you the only ghost there?”

“No, but-”

“SO THERE WERE OTHER-”

“Jisung”

“Oh right we are having a sappy moment, sorry go on”

Minho rolls his eyes, slapping the back of his head playfully “What I’m going to do with you, eh?”

“Hopefully kiss me before we die together?”

“I’m letting you die alone”

“Hyung.” He slaps his chest again, harder this time but not enough to really hurt, although the older groans in pain. “I’m kidding”

“I know, but I wanted to hit you”

Minho glares at him, diving in for an open-mouthed kiss and slapping his ass hard in response. He feels proud when the younger looks at him, like he couldn’t believe what he had done, jaws dropped in disbelief. But it’s Minho’s turn for his mouth to drop open when Jisung speaks “This is not the time for you to get a daddy kink, I’m not gonna turn my ass in”

❄

“Penny for your thoughts?” Hyunjin questions, going to completely lie on top of his boyfriend while Jeongin rummages through his journal with the hope of finding _anything_ that could help. The younger doesn’t mind his older friends, too frenzy about the whole ordeal. 

“Hyunjin, I’m sorry” Seungmin answers, moving his hands to go and card his fingers through the soft strands of black hair. _It got so long._

“For what?” The taller looks up, cheek squeezed against thighs. “For everything. I thought I was protecting you when I summoned you but I can’t do anything else to prevent this situation”

“Seungmin, listen to me. I understand you” Hyunjin says, moving to face the other in a sitting position “But I want you to know that if it weren’t for you, I would still be a wandering soul, with no place and no one to go to. And I’m happy to be here with you. Of course, the situation is not the best, but at least I can say that someone cared for me in a long time, and that is enough for me.”

“But-”

He hushes him with a kiss, squeezing his cheeks with the palm of his hands. “There are no buts. I have found love and friendship, and even if it’s not going to last, I can die again with no regrets this time”

“Don’t even say it” Seungmin sends him a glare, disliking any words linked to death. “I have to. It could happen. And we can’t do nothing but to accept it”

“Damn, stop being philosophical while sucking faces. Come and help me” Jeongin complains, running from his room to Seungmin’s one back and forth with all his grandmother’s journals.. 

“Ahh, baby Jeongin wants a kiss too, right? Seungmin, you take him by the arms”

“Don’t even try, light pole”

“Oh come on!”

**5**

Jisung had hoped with all his heart that everything would be fine. But he should have seen it coming, ever since Jeongin tricked him into summoning Minho back to life. Don’t get him wrong, Minho had turned into a really good friend and boyfriend for him, and if a part of Jisung wouldn’t change a thing, another part would have never done that. Not because he was a ghost, not because he had fallen in love, not even because he was distracted from his university career by all the events, but because sooner or later everything was bound to break.

And putting back the pieces is never easy when not only your life is at risk, but your friends’ also. 

Everything started with a cemetery, a damaged stone plate. Is everyone going to pay with their life now? Ah, the irony. He must have done something really bad in his past life to be cursed like this. 

And now that he finds himself in a different space or time, white surrounding the six of them whole, all of his hopes disappear. But Jisung doesn’t know that everything happens for a reason, and that you need to let go when you have to, when you need to.

Afterall, the greatest love of all is to let go, even if it hurts to. 

❄

Jeongin and Changbin’s grandmother was indeed angry, although the features of her face showed no sign of anger. A human with the mark of an angel ended up getting hurt, she couldn’t stay put and watch anymore. She didn’t like her younger nephew getting involved with the dead world more than her older nephew had been doing.

And of course, she didn’t like having humans involved.

Things were not supposed to proceed like so. She was angry yes, but she still had mercy. She was not going to punish them with death, contrary to belief. She had a soft spot for each one of them. But she had to teach them a lesson. 

**"** Changbin, I expected better of you. You were not supposed to be with him” she started, light surrounding her figure, while hiding her hands in the sleeves of her white and purple cloack. The initial anger had turned into disappointment, and it laced her words tightly. 

“I’m sorry, grandmother” Changbin lowered his head, looking at the floor. He was deeply sorry about everything, but what could he do? He couldn’t control the things that happened around them. 

“I shouldn’t have entrust this to you. I made a mistake as well.” she continued, eyes focusing on each one of them until she realized that three of them were missing. But this fact was not crucial. The three were bound to be caught in her decision anyway. “You are too young for all of this.”

“We are going to get punished, right?” Jeongin spoke carefully, the playful tone he would use with his friends gone. 

“The board has decided already”

“Grandmother, I know I shouldn’t have done it. But the journal-” the younger tries to reason, hoping she would understand where he was coming from. But she didn’t let him finish, removing the journal from his hands with the power of her mind. She opens it, examining its contents before letting it fall somewhere in the white room. _I see._

“Jeongin, you brought something from the dead before its given time. You fastened the process because you couldn’t wait, you are going to pay the price, and I can’t change that”

“It was not because I couldn’t wait” he manages to say, although the tears he bottled inside all these years were threatening to fall down any given moment. “I-I wanted them to be happy, I was tired of hearing thoughts, seeing images, feeling things I wish had never happened”

Seeing her nephew breaking down in front of her was not easy, but she couldn’t change the fact that they needed to learn their lesson. She knew they didn’t have bad intentions to begin with, but a punishment awaited them. “I know you had good intentions, Jeongin. That’s why we won’t punish you with death”

“What’s our punishment, grandmother?” Changbin asked, before Jeongin could say something, before he would break down in front of everyone. He reached for him, holding him closer. 

“Memories” 

“You are going to take that away from us?” Jisung gasped. He couldn’t do anything but take a look at his friends, who did the same. Bitter smiles on their faces. 

“You are all going to forget what happened the past months. You’ll go different paths, probably never meet again..” she explained when the air tensed and thoughts hit her all at once. 

**_Minho..._ **

**_What we are going to do now?_ **

**_I’m sorry Hyunjin_ **

**_It’s my fault if this ever happened. I should have gotten rid of my powers when I had the chance to. I’m making them suffer again._ **

She sighed at her nephew’s thoughts and started talking again before any of them could notice. “And.. if you do meet again, then it means that Jeongin was right. But for now, you should accept your punishment”

“Grandmother, please” Jeongin begged, going as far of getting on his knees, choking on the tears that eventually fell, wetting his cheeks and eyelashes. She approached him, placing a hand on his head, the healing light of her palm calming him down. “Jeongin, trust my judgement. And trust yours as well. Not everything is your fault. And even if you make mistakes, and you need to pay for them, it doesn’t mean you are a bad person. Everyone of you is still human, still so young. You will understand all of this. So please, let it go”

And before any of them can say anything else, blinding lights engulfs them whole.

❄

**_September 2017_ **

Minho was running late. He had a dance showcase in an hour but here he was, blocked in the traffic in the middle of Seoul. He cursed under his breath every time the bus would move only to stop 3 seconds later. He was getting impatient and he couldn’t believe that he was running late on the day of his showcase. And he wasn’t even his fault. 

As the hands of his watch ticked constantly, he grew restless. He couldn’t wait anymore, he got up from his seat, walking up to the driver. He begged him to let him get down, and the driver was kind enough of letting him, noticing the worry and restlessness in the youngster. 

Once his feet touched the ground, he gripped his backpack and sprinted down the sidewalk, avoiding people and almost smashing his face on the ground. 

_Hyunjin will never shut up about this if I’m late_

_I WILL never shut up about this if I’m late_

_GOD, this road is too long._

He was too lost in his thoughts while running to notice the boy wrapping his shoes lace in front of him. When he collided with the figure crutched on the ground, it’s already too late. Before he knew, he fell, landing on someone who groans in pain under him. He was about to apologize when the person cussed at him. “You, fucker. Watch where are you going”

“I was watching!”

“You clearly wasn’t when you fell on me” the boy answered as he moved his hand to touch the back of his head, where it was hurting. _He can’t be older than me_. 

“I’m sorry I was in a rus- Oh my god” He paled as he saw blood on the boy’s hand. The boy looked in a trance, staring at his stained hand until he realized that the red substance was indeed blood. His blood. He screamed before passing out. “OH MY GOD, IT’S BLOOD”

Minho rushed to him, managing to save him from hitting his head again on the ground and mentally cursing. The universe must be against him today and he wondered why.

He took his phone out, calling an ambulance. After ending the call, he looked around but no one seemed to care. It’s like they were invisible in the middle of the sidewalk. He sighed, worried about his future as a dancer and about the boy with squirrel-like features, asleep in his arms. 

He is pulled out of his thoughts, when someone touched his shoulder. _He must one of the nurse. Isn’t he too young to be a nurse though?_ There was someone taller behind the nurse/doctor, who still managed to smile besides the situation. “Hi, were you the one who called?”

Minho nodded, glacing at the boy in his arms “He hit his head and fainted”

The shorter of the two picked him up bride style while the taller pressed a white cloth on the bleeding. “Let’s bring him on the ambulance”

“Wait, a moment. Where is the ambulance, where is the stretcher?” 

“Do you realize in what kind of traffic we drove today, right? We had to take shortcuts in the middle of houses. Let’s go”

_“_ Wait where are you bringing him? hey, are you sure you are doct-”

“We have to go now, stop talking. “ The taller of the two said, walking in the direction his collegue did. 

Minho gripped his hair in frustration, cursing under his breath. That two nurses looked too suspicious, he couldn’t let them bring him who knows where. And before his heart could scream at him in guilt, he run after them. 

❄

Minho calmed down once he realized they were in fact in an hospital and not in some sketchy place. The squirrel-like boy was resting on the bed in front of him and he sighed. He missed his showcase, there are 40 unanswered calls on his phones and an headache forming at the back of his head. But what he could have done? Well. He could have been a bad person, leavin the boy he run into on the ground, but was he? He wasn’t. 

The smiling nurse from earlier entered the room, scanning around to find Minho sitting on a chair with his shoulders slumped down. He wacked him with the back of his medical chart, only hard enough to catch his attention. “What the fuck?”

“Language” the nurse smirked, opening the medical chart to sign the name of patient. “Did you find out his name or were you waiting for divine enlightenment?”

“How I was supposed to find out his name? Did you?” Minho complained, confused but curious enough to lean to read the name the nurse was writing. _Han.. Jisung?_

“Our legal team did. Anyways, he is fine. He probably fainted due to shock, we gave him some stitches but nothing serious”

“Thank god”

“Looks like our squirrel is already waking up!” the nurse exclaimed, teeth showing as he notices the patient slowly waking up. “I’m gonna call the doctor!” 

The boy, Jisung, sat up with a groan, touching his head on reflex and winching when he felt the stitches under his fingers. Minho rushed to help him up when their eyes met for a few seconds. He couldn’t help but feel some sort of deja-vu stirring inside. But the moment was cut short when Jisung opened his mouth to speak. “Ya. you prick! You cracked my head open!”

Minho glared at him, even if he couldn’t really deny the truth. “Well. not my fault if you were on the way!”

“You FELL on me” Jisung deadpanned

“You are right” the dancer sighed, sitting back down and leaning back in the chair. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. It was not my intention”

“I know. It’s okay. No need to get all sappy about it. At least we are both alive no?” 

❄

Unknowlingy, three figures are looking at them from the big window at beginning of the corridor. The white coats mimicking the appearance of doctors or nurses, even if they were not. “Remind me, why are we in this again?” the shorter of them questioned , crossing his arms on his chest as he takes a look on the two boys talking inside the room.

“I told you already!” 

“Well, you should remind me, Jeongin because I’m this close to hit you”

“Changbin, you are not hitting my brother!” The older of the three reprimands, smacking the back of Changbin’s neck with a medical chart. He groaned in pain “Woojin hyung. If grandmother comes at us again for this, I’m out”

“She won’t. Afterall, it wasn’t me who opened the journal on a rewind page, which I haven’t used since 2017” Jeongin grinned, mentally doing an happy dance and hitting the wow. “And also, we are stuck from this year going on, because the journal is nowhere to be found” 

“But why we can remember?” 

“That’s her punishment for us, I guess. Because now, we can really not do anything but help them from behind” Woojin reminded them “Which means, no more summoning spells, no magic in front of them, no nothing”

“Does this means I can go and find Felix?”

Jeongin facepalmed, taking the medical chart from his brother’s hand to hit his cousin again “Yes, did the blinding light make you forgetful or what?

“Stop hitting me!” _FUCK YES, BABE I’M COMING_

Jeongin shook his head, amused at the older’s thoughts. He stole s a few other glances at the two boys. They were still talking, soft smiles on their faces, although he could spot some glaring action once in a while. “I told them the doctor was visiting, so Woojin hyung, they are all yours”

_The greatest love of all is to let go, but sometimes it comes back home._

**  
  
  
**

Grandmother 0 - Little Jeongin 9

  
  



End file.
